Love Squared
by TheNovelArtist
Summary: There's only so many ways two people can create a skit about a love square.


Romance and Clichés are two things that would never disappear from literature. Particularly in classic plays. So Ms. Bustier decided that for Valentine's Day, it would be rather hilarious to put them all together as a project.

She paired off the entire class then passed around a hat filled with little pieces of paper. Each of the slips stated a romance cliché that she wanted each team to make a skit about. They were welcome to write an essay instead of creating a skit, but she would have higher expectations for that.

When Alya received the hat, she absently took a slip from the hat without looking up from her Ladyblog before passing it back.

Nino elbowed her. "So what does it say?"

She looked up from her phone to open the paper.

Nino smirked. "I know that you've been obsessing over Ladybug and Chat Noir's non-existent romance, but I'd like to get this project over with."

Alya shot him a glare. "As if. They totally like each other. They just don't know it." She finished opening the paper to see their cliché.

Love Square.

"I thought it was only a love triangle," Nino spoke up, confused.

"A love square isn't as common, but it's still a theme. There are several different ways to show it, but officially, it's when person one likes person two who likes person three who likes person four who likes person one. In this instance, it's common for person one and three to have a relationship of sorts while person two and four have a relationship of sorts."

Nino stared at her blankly.

Alya rolled her eyes then pulled out a piece of paper. "Ok. Let's look at it this way. Me and you and Marinette and Adrien." She scribbled their names in a square formation. "Pretend you like Marinette." She drew an arrow. "Who likes Adrien." She drew another. "Who likes me. Who likes you." She drew the last two. "Then, on top of that, you and Adrien are best friends." She scribbled a double way arrow between the square. "And Marinette and I are best friends." She finished crossing the previous arrow with another double arrow. "Got it."

Nino nodded. "Yeah. Ok. Got it."

Alya smiled. "Good. Simple enough, right."

"Yeah, except…wouldn't we need four people to act out any sort of skit for this?"

Alya frowned as she stared at the paper. He was right. They would need to get two more people to help them complete this. She glared at the paper. "Really? Ms. Bustier isn't that mean, is she?"

"Unless she's cool with us asking for help. You can't exactly have a love square with two people."

As Alya stared at her Ladyblog, something started clicking in her mind. "Not necessarily."

"Wha?"

"Yeah," she said, looking at the duo of superheroes. "See, this is just one example of a love square. There are a couple different versions of a love square, so what if there was one with superheroes and their alter-egos."

Nino shook his head. "Now I'm really confused."

"No, really, it's perfect. It would be like…like if we were akumatized often. The equivalent of you, Nino, liking Alya who is Lady Wifi who likes the Bubbler who is you." She drew him a square, the corners being _Alya, Lady Wifi, Bubbler, Nino._ Taking out a red pen, she drew arrows from Lady Wifi to the Bubbler—

"I'm so confused right now," Nino said. "Even with that picture, it wouldn't make sense to me."

Alya frowned, but stopped before she got too far. She hummed in thought. Trying to think about the best way to explain this. "Ok, let's use Ladybug and Chat Noir, ok? Would that be easier for you to see?"

"Like, how Chat likes Ladybug but Ladybug doesn't return the feelings?"

Alya nodded. "Yes. Now, imagine their alter-egos. Ladybug's alter-ego likes Chat's alter-ego but he doesn't return the feeling. Got it?"

Nino's brow knit together in thought.

Alya rolled her eyes, scanning the room until her eyes landed on the pair working in front of them. Marinette, in her ever-present pigtails and Adrien with his perfect blonde hair. And perfectly understandable for the dunce on her left.

"Ok. So, _pretend_ for a moment that pigtails there is Ladybug," Alya said, pointing her pen at Marinette. "And blondie is Chat. Clearly never in a million years would those two ever be the super-pair, but do you get what I'm saying?"

Amused, Nino nodded.

"All right." With that, Alya drew a diagram on her paper. "So, Marinette, who is Ladybug, likes Adrien, who is Chat Noir. Chat Noir, who is Adrien, likes Ladybug, who is Marinette."

Recognition dawned upon Nino's face. _Finally._ "So, basically, it would be perfect if Ladybug and Adrien got together because Chat Noir and Marinette actually like each other."

"Very good," Alya purred out, patting Nino's head teasingly. "That's right."

Nino shot her a frown.

"Now, we put together a skit. How?"

Nino looked down at the diagrams on her paper. "Well," he said, pointing at the Ladybug/Chat Noir love square. "We have a perfect example right there. And isn't parody the highest form of flattery?"

As Alya studied at the diagram, a wicked grin came across her face. "I love it."

The day came when it was time to present. Nearly all the kids chose to do a skit, as the work of a paper was not appealing. Alix and Kim were stuck with "rivals to lovers" while Marinette and Adrien had to do "Rich boy/poor girl."

Then came Alya and Nino.

In a sick and funny twist of fate, they decided (when they were working on this project at one in the morning after five cups of coffee) that it would be hilarious if they actually did pretend Marinette and Adrien were the alter-egos of Ladybug and Chat Noir. It was killing two birds with one stone because they were so tired of Marinette's spaztasticness and Adrien's cluelessness. Might as well reveal all to the sunshine child and help Marinette get out the words she couldn't say herself.

In a moment of genius, Nino had texted Alya yesterday, telling her to dress up as Marinette and he would dress up as Adrien. Wigs and all.

Alya couldn't have agreed more.

Of course, this also drew funny looks from their friends, but that was beside the point. Everyone knew who they were pretending to be, which made it all the more funny.

Before the duo got into their positions, Alya went to the back of the classroom to give Rose a book, instructing her to drop it loudly when she was pointed at. Rose, being sweet as she was, agreed to help.

Then, Alya and Nino set themselves up in respective ends of the classroom, then nodded to Ms. Bustier that they were ready to begin.

Alya took a couple steps forward, then pretended to flip out and spun around. "It's ok, Marinette," she said. "Play it cool. He's just the super cute, nice, sweet, brilliant, _amazing_ boy you have a crush on. You'll be good. Just play it cool. Just play it cool."

When Alya turned around again, she snuck a glance at Marinette. She had to keep in the smirk from her face. Alya was a dead woman; Marinette's expression said that much.

Alya and Nino meet in the middle of the classroom. "H-hi, Adrien. Hi. Mood Gorning, I mean, morning good, I mean…" she shrunk down, hiding her face behind her hands. "Hi," she squeaked.

By now, the class was sniggering, Marinette was melting into a mortified pile of goo, and Adrien was looking on the scene with a strange mix curiosity and irritation.

"Uhh…hi," Nino replied, forcing on his best smile. "How are you, Marinette?"

"Good!" Alya chipped up. "Good, I'm good. Really good. You're good, I mean, are you good? I mean, of course your good, but…" once again she groaned. "How are you?"

Nino pretended to play oblivious. "I'm good, thanks." Then, he did a double take up to the back of the classroom. "What, what's that?" He pointed up at Rose.

It took her a second to realize it was her que. She took the book and slammed it against the floor, making a loud _thwack_ that resounded through the classroom.

"Akuma," Nino and Alya said together.

They then turned to each other, wearing stupid grins on their faces as they each mumbled off some excuse about going to hide or going to the bathroom, then they spun around and ran to their corners of the classroom.

From there, they dug into their bags, each pulling out a jacket and slipping it on. Nino, now wearing a black leather jacket, pulled out a pair of cat ears to stick on his head before pulling out a black mask. Then Alya pulled on a Ladybug mask to match her polka-dotted, red jacket before they met once again in the middle of the classroom, each striking a ridiculous superhero pose.

Immediately, the whole class burst into stitches.

"Hey, My Lady," Nino purred out, "looking _purr-_ fect as _meowl_ -ways."

Alya, then rolled her eyes and pushed Nino away. "Down, kitty. No time for your flirting. We have an akuma on the loose. Let's go."

Nino exaggerated a frown as Alya pulled a yo-yo from her jacket pocket and flung it up the center aisle in mock gesture of swinging away.

Once Alya was halfway up the steps, Nino perked up, puffing his chest out in true Chat Noir fashion. "She'll fall for me one day. It's only a matter of time before My Lady sees we're meant to be." With that, he followed Alya up the steps.

Then, the met at the top, fist bumped with a "good job", then split as they made their way down the side aisles of the classroom. Nino started taking all his stuff off, tossing it in a heap on his bag. Then, he and Alya turned back towards the middle of the front of the classroom.

Suddenly, the duo spun around. "Oh my gosh," they said together.

"That's Adrien," Alya said, "Oh, you can do this. You're Ladybug. You can do this. You can do anything. Including talking to your crush in full sentences because you're Ladybug and can do anything."

"Ladybug," Nino followed up. "Just play it cool. You can do this. She's just the love of your life. You can do this. You can do this."

Then, together, they both spun around and gave each other an awkward wave. "Hey."

The class once again was in stitches. Except, Nino noticed, Adrien and Marinette. They looked…well…mortified.

Huh. Maybe they went a little too far overboard.

"Um, you're Adrien Agreste, right?"

"Yeah. Hi, Ladybug, nice to meet you."

The two awkwardly shook hands, then stood there awkwardly for a moment, rocking on their heels while the class's sniggering grew to full out giggles.

"Well, it was nice meeting you."

"You, too."

And then they walked away back to their corners. Alya did a squealing skip and Nino put his fist in the air, leaving the class guffawing.

For their final act, Alya took off her jacket and mask while Nino put his back on. They crossed across the front of the classroom.

"Marinette," Nino greeted.

"Chat Noir," Alya returned, continuing on to the corners of the classroom.

And with that, they returned to the center and bowed.

They had to admit, the standing ovation was amazing.

"Thank you, Alya and Nino," Ms. Bustier said. "That was a very…interesting take on the love square. Please take a seat."

Alya and Nino did as asked, giving each other a high five on their way back to their desk.

But they couldn't help but notice the awkward way Adrien and Marinette were now looking at each other, not to mention their matching blushes were impossible to miss.

"Do you think we went too far?" Alya whispered to Nino.

"I don't know. Maybe," he admitted.

By the time class was over and the bell had rung, Adrien and Marinette were shuffling awkwardly in their seats. "Umm," they said together. They turned to acknowledge each other for the first time since the end of the skit, saying at the same time. "We need to talk."

 _Boom!_

"Are you kidding me?" Marinette whispered under her breath.

Adrien groaned. "Why now?"

Alya was on her phone in a second. "Akuma! Ladybug and Chat Noir are bound to show up shortly. Let's go."

"No way. Don't you think we should hide?" Marinette said, standing from her seat and turning to the door.

"Yeah," Adrien said, stepping towards Marinette. "I think that's the better idea."

"No way! I have to get this for my Ladyblog. Come on. Nino's coming, right?"

Nino knew better than to argue with his girlfriend when she gave him _that_ look. "All right. Someone has to go with you to keep you from getting killed. Right, Ad—"

His friend was gone, along with Marinette.

"I swear," Alya growled. "If I didn't know any better, they run off to make out in a closet or something."

Nino rolled his eyes at that before followed the anxious Alya off to find the akuma.

Thirty minutes and some really good footage later, Alya and Nino were walking back to class. "Can you believe that akuma? It would have been so much cooler had he actually put effort into his fighting."

Nino shook his head. Only his girlfriend would be so strange. "I think he watched too many bad superhero cartoons considering how much he was monologing."

"I hate to say I agree with you. Hawkmoth seems to be off his game."

"Well, Hawkmoth wasn't the only one," Nino argued. "Did you see Chat Noir and Ladybug?"

Alya groaned. "Geez, Ladybug was so _awkward_. Like Marinette dressed up in a costume and was trying to defeat Hawkmoth with Adrien at her side."

"Chat wasn't much better. He looked pretty out of it."

"Yeah, like he was star struck or something."

Their conversation was interrupted by a little squeal and a bunch of giggling. It was faint, but Alya, being the big sister to a ton of little _angels_ , had learned how to be in tune with every little noise she heard. She glared at the closet ahead, then turned back to Nino.

He just shrugged.

But Alya was a reporter, obsessed with getting the latest scoop. So with great curiosity, she flung the door open.

Only to be greeted with the sight of Ladybug and Chat Noir in the middle of a heated kiss.

Ladybug was the first one to pull away, then turned as red as her suit at the sight of her number one reporter holding her camera phone in her direction. Chat looked up to lock eyes with the dumbstruck duo. With a less noticeable blush on his cheeks, he frowned. "Do you mind? We're kind of busy."

With that, Nino pushed the closet door shut, then stated pulling his star struck girlfriend down the hallway.

"B-b-b-but—" she tried to object.

"Alya, let's just get back to class."

A/N: I don't know how I came up with this idea, but I did and not going to apologize for it. Not sure I loved the ending. I was fighting about it being any one of the love square ships and eventually chose that one. Leave a comment if you agree with my choice or if you would have liked a different one. Thanks. J


End file.
